Roxanne
by Vampy.rEVOLution666
Summary: "Spike, are you ok?" He looked back up at her. "Suits you." Buffy's brow crinkled adorably and he smiled before nodding to the kid. "Suits you." He spoke softly again and the Slayer knew what he meant...motherhood. A blush rose to her cheeks and she looked down at the child once more so as not to look back at the handsome face that was staring at her funny... S5 SPUFFY ft. Glory
1. Chapter 1

_Summary:"Spike, are you ok?" He looked back up at Buffy. "Suits you." "Huh?" Buffy's brow crinkled adorably and he smiled before nodding to the kid. "Suits you." He spoke softly again and Buffy knew what he meant...her daughter. A blush rose to her cheeks and she looked down at the child once more so as not to look back at the handsome face that was staring at her funny. S5 SPUFFY T/M_

**AN:/ Life's not that great at the moment so I'm seeking some validation…I decided to write and will be eating up all your feedback. BtVS is where it began for me, fanfiction that is, all those years ago. I've always read it, never attempted to do my own take on the genius that is Joss Whedon but Spuffy sooths my aching soul and felt it was finally time; time to let what's in my head spill out onto the page. So, here's my first Buffy fic and I'm writing it more than 20 years after the show began but what can I say? It's impossible for me to fall out of love with the Buffyverse. It rooted itself deep within my soul…not that souls are all that big of a deal anyway ;) **

**Sort of kicks off 5.12, post bye-bye Riley but fuck the timeline, yeah? **

* * *

Chapter 1

She kicks, punches twice. The vamp swings back and Buffy ducks. Grabbing him by his outdated 70s lapels, she spins Mr. Bumpy-Face around just before throwing him against an elaborate headstone. He came back full force as she approached, punching her in the face. Buffy is flung back from the blow and as she gets her bearings, preparing to attack once more, a flurry of black leather comes flying over the now crumbling plaque; the leather matador grabs the vamp from behind and in moments the target was nothing but dust.

"Spike! Why did you do that?" Spike can't help but grin.

"Not for money, if that's what you're thinking. Your heartfelt gratitude's plenty." Buffy glared at him and immediately the smile was gone from his face. "I expect I'll be getting that any moment." He grumbled sarcastically.

"Gratitude. For getting in my way, you mean?"

_'If looks could slay'_, Spike thought.

"He was mine!" Buffy whined in that precious, preteen way that always made him smile; her brows all screwed up in frustration, that prominent pout making its presences known.

"You feeling antsy, luv? Needin' a good slay after Captain Cardboard buggered off, that it?" Spike's eyebrows wiggled suggestively and his tongue spired up to find its familiar place behind the top row of his teeth.

"I had him. I was regrouping and you…"

"Regrouping? You were about to get regrouped into separate piles, luv. Saved your arse, I did. You needed me."

"I didn't need you. I never needed you, Spike." Buffy turned and began a determined march away from the blonde vamp.

"Oh, I get it!" He made to follow her. "You just don't like who did the rescuin' pet, that's all. Wishin' I was your boyfriend, what's-his-face. Oh wait, he's run off!"

"_You_ wish, more like! I don't need a boyfriend…to rescue me or for any other reason, Spike and I most certainly don't need your sorry assrunning around…"

"Don't need or can't keep?" He interrupted. Buffy stops walking to turn and glare at him. "You keep making notches in the headboard but eventually they get up out of bed and run off, don't they?"

"You're disgusting."

"Oh, rough talk, is it? Maybe that's your problem, maybe you push 'em away. Or is it the other? Maybe you cling too much. Or maybe…maybe your beauty's fading, Slayer." Spike bluffed and the routine bickering went on.

"The stress of slaying's aging you prematurely, 'ey Buffy? Things not as high, not as _firm_." Spike grinned lecherously and made a gesture with his hands as if trying to hold up a saggy pair of breasts. "The clock's tickin', 'ey Slayer?" Buffy grimaced and tried to walk away, once again.

"You know what, Spike? The more I get to know you, the more I wish I di…did you hear that?"

"Changing the subject now, are we?" Spike rolled his eyes.

"Spike! Sshh." Buffy hushed him into silence; both their ears perked up. "I'm serious, did you hear…" And before Buffy could finish her sentence an agonising cry leapt out from among the darkness.

"Please!"

Slayer and vamp looked towards one another before stalking, with resolution, into the night and seeking out the plea.

* * *

Crouched behind a decrepit looking stone balustrade, the unlikely pair looked on to what appeared to be your standard Sunnydale sacrifice.

Entirely out of place, a trashy looking woman, red dress, red strappy shoes; a bunch of leper-looking, hobbit-like creatures and some restrained religious types roped to a post in the ground, all haloed a bonfire in a darkened corner of Restfield Cemetery.

"What do you suppose…" Spike started to whisper before the scarlet woman spoke up.

"Okay, lesser-beings! Let's get this party started." The self-entitled Barbie spoke to the unwilling congregation with an air of unrestrained authority. "_Finally_." She grumbled to herself.

"_Lesser_-beings?" Buffy whispered to the male presence beside her in confusion.

Buffy and Spike remained hunched down at the entrance to the plot of land that was accommodating the hellish looking group; the blue light of the full moon shone down harshly on both their faces but the yellow of the flames softened their features in the glare. They watched on attentively as the woman in red snatched a bundle of cloth away from one of the monks.

"Glory, please, no!" The man tried in vain to protest. At this, the woman swung round and backhanded the man with unimaginable force, blood dribbled from his mouth and his head lolled onto the shoulder of his neighbouring brother. The bundle of cloth began to wail out into the night.

"You will not speak my name!" Turning to glare at the child she commanded it to: "Hush, now!" Glory's voice boomed and the child swaddled in cloth wisely ceased to cry any longer. "Good. Now let's proceed…I refuse to wait another measly, mortal month much less another millennia! The ritual needs to harness the power of the full moon or it won't work…_stupid lunar calendars_."

"A sprog?" Spike hissed. Slayer and vamp looked on as 'Glory', they now understood her to be, approached the burning pyre, she cradled the child in one arm and drew a nasty looking dagger from beneath the hem of her dress with the other.

"Just last week you were gambling with kittens, Spike." Buffy argued.

"Yeah but…come on! A sacrificial newborn, jeez magic has got to pull itself out of the dark ages…"

"I rarely agree with you but on this one…"

"Time to intervene, Slayer?" Spike smiled. "Unless of course, you wantthe babe to become mincemeat…" Buffy was already hurling her body over the boundary fence. "After you, of course…" Spike made time to roll his eyes before following her into the soon to be carnage.

"What you got there?" Buffy made herself known. Glory barely even acknowledged her and raised the knife in her hand as the 'leper-hobbits' began to chant in a forgotten language. "Earth to Glory!" Buffy spoke again but was still ignored. "Hey, Scarlet Ho-hansson!" This got her attention.

"Ok, now I'm upset." Glory turned to glare at the little girl that was insulting her, she seemed to be flanked by a punkish bodyguard of some kind.

"_I said_, what you got there?" Buffy inquired again.

"And you are?" Glory didn't really care to know.

"I'm Buffy. This is Spike but he's not important." Spike rolled his eyes, yet again. "We suggest you put down the infant and walk away." Glory bellowed a heathenistic cackle.

"Oh, sweetie, those shoes are hideous, that boyfriend of yours, could do better and me, walking away? Not going to happen." She glared. "Now, run along home, Polly Pocket."

The chanting became louder, flames sparked and the moon seemed to swell with unrestrained energy, Glory paid them no further heed. Buffy and Spike looked towards one another, shrugged away the insults and accepted the confrontation before propelling themselves into action.

Buffy punched the woman straight in the gut but it didn't seem to cause a tickle much less any harm.

"Hey!" Glory was now staring daggers at the Slayer but she still clung onto the child and couldn't risk spilling a drop of that precious blood before the time was right and so Glory all but flung her back to one of her chanting minions along with the sacrificial blade before turning her full attention onto Buffy. "Watch the brat! Now as for you, how dare you…" Buffy socked her once again in the face. The blow barely seemed to even registered with the woman. "Big mistake." Glory grabbed Buffy by the arms and threw her backwards, across the plot, knocking Spike down in process.

"What the…" Buffy winced.

"You good, Slayer?" Spike asked as Buffy scrambled up from on top of him and turned to face the woman with an expression of surprise. Buffy nodded.

"That tramp is damn strong." Buffy hissed as she rose up.

"A challenge then?" Spike grinned and Buffy couldn't help but smirk back. "Apocalypse is long overdue, init Slayer? Let's have some fun." And before she could reply, he sprung himself onto the chorus of mumbling minions, fangs cocked and soon to be locked onto the demons' throats. Buffy turned back to face Glory, the shorn grass firmly planted beneath the soles of her heeled boots once again.

* * *

The burning fire roared on and the moon still shone brightly above.

"Just to let you know…this whole 'beating ya to death' thing I'm doing? It's incredibly inconvenient and it's valuable time out of life that I won't get back." Glory bitched and held down both the Slayer's arms as she tried to fight back, Buffy cried out in pain. In an attempt to break free, Buffy threw her head back only to slam it into Glory's forehead with everything she had. Glory winced and the Slayer almost knocked herself out in the process.

"That tickled. So, little girl's got super powers. That's so cool. Can you fly?" Glory smiled manically before flinging Buffy's tiring body, like a ragdoll, across a number of graves and into the entrance steps of a mausoleum.

"Slayer!" Spike yelled as he snapped the neck of another of Glory's men and ran towards her, duster-clad arm outstretched, to pull her to her shaking feet. By now, the chanting had stopped and as a result, the moon had lost its special lustre as Spike had made his snarling way through most of the faithful flock. The ground was lain with bodies but two trollish demons remained: one, wart-ridden and stout, quivered pathetically behind a headstone still clinging to the child; the other, leaner but equally scabby, glared out at the disastrous ritual site with blackened eyes, it was no longer to host a celebratory moment for his mistress.

"We might have to call this one, Buff." Spike looked at the worn-out Slayer beside him and heeded caution. "You've only been going at her a couple minutes and she's beating you down good 'n' proper."

"There's a child involved, Spike!" Buffy grappled with the very real possibility of losing this fight. Glory, whoever she was, was just too powerful.

At that moment, a gang of drunken vamps stumbled into said section of the cemetery. Their ruckus laughter began to fade as, even awash with the haze of booze, the staggering vamps could sense a potential fight around the corner.

"Mistress!" The taller, lean minion yelled in fear, pointing to the full moon above. Glory stared at the dead all around her feet, the ritual prevented for yet another month. How long had it taken her to procure the Key in the first place?

"NO!" Glory screeched once she realised what that meant. "You little whore!" She turned an accusing finger towards Buffy with insult before throwing, what was the equivalent of, a spoilt hellgod's temper tantrum and made quick work of crushing every gravestone in the immediate area.

Then, everything seemed to happen at once.

"Spike, get the kid." Buffy told the blonde man beside her who nodded before zeroing in on the shaken demon that still enfolded the child amongst his brown and dirtied robes.

"Hey guys!" Buffy smirked at the approaching horde of undead drunks as they glared back at her. "D'you hear? There's a new slayer in town. Thinks she's hot shit." Buffy smirked a nodded over to Glory. One glance at the slender woman who seemed to be crushing granite with her bare, manicured hands and the inebriated vamps didn't even question her immortal stench. The next thing you know they swarmed towards her.

Buffy ran to untie the three bloodied and beaten monks. Spike had somehow scrambled the child away from the other minion who now lay unconscious beside his friend. Vampires seemed to fly everywhere like bats, true to their name, as Glory tossed them aside like nothing, still, more kept approaching.

"Think it's time to leave, Slayer." Spike said as he held the small child to his chest.

"Couldn't agree more." Buffy winced as she helped the most injured of the men to his feet and swung his arm around her shoulder before all of them stumbled away into the protective darkness.

The preoccupied Glory snarled after them.

"I'll be seeing you within the month, blondie…blondies!" Glory yelled as she ripped the head off a female vamp in fishnets. The retreating group did not look back.

* * *

"I think we're ok." Buffy huffed as she settled the man she was helping to the ground on the other side of the burial grounds. "No one's following us."

"Bitch needs an attitude readjustment." Spike grumbled, wiping a trickle of demon blood away from his lips and spitting at the ground to lessen the wretched taste in his mouth.

"This night must be special," Buffy laughed. "because, once again, I'm inclined to agree with you." Spike began to look smug but their joint attention was soon drawn to the men they had just recently rescued.

"Thank you." The man on the floor spoke quietly. His two brothers were now crouched either side of him, one applying pressure to a nasty looking gash across his chest. "You have to…the Key. You must protect the Key."

"Come again, mate?" Spike questioned and as he shifted his weight the once wailing bundle in his arms began to settle, a delicate yawn escaping her little pink lips.

"Many more will die if you don't keep it safe." The light was fading from his eyes.

"How? What is it?" Buffy demanded. The man gasped but couldn't seem to find his words so the man to his right spoke for him.

"The Key is energy. It's a portal. It opens the door…"

The dying monk seemed to regain his breath and he was able to continue, Buffy and Spike listened on.

"For centuries it had no form. My brethren, its only keepers. Then the abomination found us. We could no longer protect it. We had to hide the Key, gave it form, moulded it flesh…made it human…made from your essence. We were to send it to you…to the Slayer." Buffy and Spike stared at him in shock and then down at the child in his arms as realisation sunk in. "She is the Key." His eyes began to flutter and his face was a troubling shade of white.

"Brother? Silas!" One of the men beside him clasped his hand in a futile effort to draw him back to consciousness but in seconds, the uneven rise and fall of his chest had ceased and the man lay still on the ground. Tears escaped the eyes of the men beside his lifeless body and Buffy was struggling to hold back her own.

"My essence?" Buffy daren't speak any louder than a whisper.

Through a sorrowful gasp of air, the man clinging to the lifeless hand of his brother and friend, looked up at the stunned pair and replied. "She's yours."

"We knew the Slayer would protect." The other man now spoke.

"Mine?" Buffy gasped and looked up worryingly at the child and then at Spike who seemed just as dazed as she. "I didn't ask for this! I don't even know…what is she?"

"Human…now human. And helpless. Please…she's an innocent in all this. She needs you."

"She's not my daughter."

"Buffy…" Spike began to interject as he came to understand the situation he found himself in.

"She won't know that." The monk continued. "You cannot abandon. Do not allow our brother's death to have been in vain, please._ She needs you_."

They stood stunned, Buffy's world had once again turned upside down.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Guess you won't have to worry about that tickin' clock any longer, 'ey Slayer? Not now you've got yourself a bairn." Spike attempted at conversation as they walked slowly back to 1630 Revello Drive, he was still cradling the kid, _Buffy's kid_, he corrected himself and looked down at little girl in his arms.

"Spike," Buffy stopped walking and turned to glare at him. "If you weren't currently holding my child I would punch you." He would have usually grinned at the insult, wound her up further but Buffy seemed to lack the energy to put up with much more tonight and so he smiled, "Glad to hear you laying your claim on the Bit." Buffy roll her eyes half-heartedly and he continued to walk them home.

They had parted with the monks and their deceased brother back at the cemetery with not much else to say. The two men had taken his body and Buffy and Spike were left in shock, babe in arms.

"It's gonna be alright, you know that, luv."

"How can you say that?" Buffy spoke in quiet hysteria as she continued to walk beside Spike on the street up to her house where her mother and younger sister were most likely sleeping soundly. She had yet to look at the child again since leaving the graveyard and found herself grateful for Spike's presence. _What is wrong with me? I'm grateful that a vampire is here to carry my child home so I don't have to…oh my god, my child…I have a…_Tears threatened to spill down her face again and Buffy struggled with the lump forming in her throat. "I…why does this shit always happen to me, Spike?"

"Had supernatural offspring flung on you before, pet?" Spike smiled.

"You know what I mean." She looked defeated, Spike did not like that.

"You're the Chosen One, Buffy." Spike said as they reached the back entrance to her family home.

"But a child?" Buffy whirled around to face him, frustrated.

"You gonna take it out on Her?" Spike accused, cuddling the child closer to himself. "S'like Friar Tuck back there said, she's _innocent_. S'not her fault." Spike gaze bore into Buffy's, hoping she'd see sense. "Plus, she's yours, Slayer. You gonna toss your own out to the wolves…to that hellbitch?" He almost growled and Buffy didn't know what to say.

"How…what…I don't know how to do this." Buffy cried.

"What new parent does?"

"Yeah, well prospective parents usually get nine months prior warning. And case and point, parents…that's plural, Spike. What happens when she starts asking about stuff…well, sweetie, when a mommy and a supernatural ball of energy love each other very much…what the fuck!?" She gasped helplessly.

"You're not alone, Slayer." Spike stared down at her for a moment, taking in her tear-stained face, _when did he start to hate to see her cry? _"You've got…you've got the Scoobies, good ol' Watcher, your mum 'n' sis' will love her…"

"Oh my god! My mom!" Buffy hands flew to her face, hyperventilating. "How am I supposed to tell my mom? The talk doesn't exactly include supernatural contraception, Spike! Oh my god…"

"Ssh, hey, Slayer?"

"Oh my god…"

"Buffy!" He continued to hold the baby with one hand and yanked Buffy towards him with the other. "Just…we deal. It's gonna be alright, alright?" He stared at her fiercely and something in Buffy shifted.

"We deal." She breathed and finally looked back down at the sleeping child. Buffy wept silently. "She's beautiful."

"Ain't she just?" Spike chuckled, looking down at the baby once more. "S'hard not to keep looking at her." Buffy smiled and gazed back up at Spike through blurry vision, the skin crinkled around his eyes and he smiled down at_…at her daughter. Get used to it Buffy._ It was a look she'd never seen on him before but it was a look that wasn't unfamiliar. It was the way most people looked at a newborn…with adoration. With _love? Vampires can't…_

"Should probably get the Little Bit out of the cold, Buffy?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah." Buffy huffed as she turned to enter the house, bereft. "I'm already a crappy mom."

"You'll be a great mum, Slayer. The little one hit the jackpot with the supernatural parent lottery." He smiled as they began to settle down in the Summers' living room.

"Quit it." Buffy grumbled.

"What?" Spike looked taken aback.

"You don't know that. Stop trying to make me feel better."

"_Me?_ Make _you_ feel better? _Please…_" Spike feigned indifference before he caught the broken look on Buffy's sweet face. "Look, Slayer," He began gently, "you're a great big sis…"

"Dawn hates me most of the time."

"Younger sibling…think that's normal, luv." He countered.

"I'm the Slayer, my life's not exactly danger free."

"And hers isn't?" Spike asked, looking down at the child again. "Look at what she was born into but you said it, you didn't ask for this, well, neither did she, Buffy." Spike looked back at her with a small smile. "Plus, you've babysat Harris all these years and to my great distain, he's somehow still alive 'n' kickin'. You can manage that one, then it stands to reason…" His lips tilted up at the ends and Buffy's began to follow suit; the longer Spike spoke, the more the stress seemed to diminish and be rung from her torpid self.

Just then, the child started to stir again and she broke her slumber with a yawn. Through a waning haze of sleep, a pair of eyes, the deepest blue you'd ever see, blinked up at the strange people now staring down at her. This startled the vampire and Slayer into an amazed silence and it was soon filled with small gurgles and an unshakeable, single hiccough. The Slayer gasped through a smile and Spike joined Buffy in her amusement and awe.

When the girl was asleep it was much easier for Buffy to pretend that she hadn't just been coerced by the universe to be responsible for something so small, so vulnerable. She fought for people's lives every day, but this, to be responsible for this one little person, a person who was a part of her, a tiny person who was now staring curiously up at herself and Spike…_how the hell am I going to do this? Apocalypse…piece of cake. Being a mother?_ Buffy hoped to hell that she could do this because she knew for certain that as soon as that child stared up at her, acknowledged her with those big innocent eyes, well, Buffy was certain that she had already fallen in love. _I won't toss you to the wolves, baby, I promise._

Spike had unravelled the baby girl from the tattered blanket she came to them in and now she lay in his lap, head supported by the vamp's strong fingers. Buffy cautiously reached a finger out to the child's grappling hands and a small fist enclosed around it and drew the digit into her gummy mouth. Spike and Slayer laughed as she tried to chew and gurgled. Her little legs started to kick into Spike's belly as she bounced around contentedly.

"Hi, baby." Buffy smiled softly and the child looked up at her with an adorable face. Buffy had yet to hold her and it was only then that Spike realised.

"You want to hold her?" He asked carefully. Buffy looked terrified.

"I.."

"She's your kid." He frowned, Buffy thought he looked disappointed.

"I'll break her." Buffy voice broke as she barely got the words out and he realised how difficult this must be.

"No, you won't, Slayer." Spike said firmly.

"She's so small…"

"You know your own strength, luv, you won't break her…just pretend she's Xander." Spike humoured her again and Buffy conceded. He lifted the child with care and placed her gently into her mother's open arms. "Support her head." He advised and Buffy did so. When she finally had her daughter cradled to her breast, she was taken by her. _How could I not want you?_ A few more tears managed to find their way down Buffy face again and she sniffled.

"Slayer? Ok?" Buffy smiled threw her tears to look back at Spike and nodded firmly. She _was_ ok and laughed a little.

"Yeah, it's just…" She let out a long, needed breath.

"Scary."

"Says the master vamp but…yeah. Scary." Buffy spoke softly before gazing back down at her daughter.

The living room of 1630 was comfortably quiet that night, the two couldn't seem to stop staring at the little girl in Buffy's arms. With Buffy happily distracted, Spike looked on from his place at Buffy's side: at the two Summers women, at all their beauty, their fight and he couldn't help but think…_bugger!_ He thought he was done for before when it was just Buffy, but now? Spike knew without question that that child would be the final nail in his loved-up coffin. _Fuck. You got me, Bit, got me good_. He sighed heavily.

"Spike, are _you_ ok?" He looked back up at Buffy.

"Suits you."

"Huh?" Buffy's brow crinkled adorably and he smiled before nodding to the kid.

"Suits you." He spoke softly again and Buffy knew what he meant. A blush rose to her cheeks and she looked down at the child once more so as not to look back at the handsome face that was staring at her funny.

The kid began to kick up a fuss just then, pudgy face going all red. She scrunched up her eyes and opened her mouth as if to…

"Oh no." Spike harrumphed.

"Wha…" Buffy began to question but was cut off by the sound of her own daughter's shrill cries. "Oh no." Buffy confirmed and began to hush and coo to settle the upset child.

"Buffy?" A worried yell came from upstairs.

"Ooh nooo." Buffy winced as she heard the sleepy voice of her now awake mother travel into the living room. "Spike, will you…"

"Yeah." And he reclaimed the child from her mother's arms, rocking her gently to settle her still present cries. "What are you gonna…"

"Buffy?" Joyce had made her way down the stairs quicker than expected and looked terribly confused. Buffy and Spike peered up at Mrs. Summers with a deer-in-headlights expression, guilt ridden faces. For what they needed to feel guilty about, they weren't sure but it felt very much like they were both children about to be scalded. A sleepy Dawn had also stumbled down the stairs, bedhead and all; she now stood behind her mother who was clearly expecting an explanation and once she had managed to banish most of the sleep from her eyes, Dawn looked up into the living room at her big sister and favourite member of the living dead. Shock didn't even begin to explain the expressions on the ladies' faces.

"Buff…" She began but then noticed: "Spike, why do you have a baby?"


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:/ Please Review x **

* * *

Chapter 3

"Buffy?" Joyce asked her eldest again.

"Maybe you guys should sit." The look her mom gave her then did not bode well for Buffy.

"Should I now?" Joyce said, hands raised to rest on her hips, forever the matriarch.

"In this case, Joyce, think Buffy's right. You should probably sit." Joyce Summers' eyes were drawn to the friendly vampire and then down to the still crying child. _So many questions._

Dawn followed her mother over to the now unoccupied couch and they sat.

"Well? Why is Spike in my living room at three in the morning holding a crying child, Buffy?"

"Mom I…hang on." Buffy began but stopped, and turned to Spike. "Can you do something about that?"

"What?" Spike asked genuinely confused.

"The crying. I can't think."

"What do you want me to do?" He argued.

"I dunno, maybe she's hungry." Buffy shrugged.

"Does it look like I have tits?" He scowled back at Buffy.

"Well, I can't…" Buffy began to gesture to her own chest before blushing and thinking better of it. "Look…just…she was getting all gummy with my finger earlier, try that for now." Buffy suggested. Spike huffed and shifted the kid so that he could hold onto her with one arm and slip the bare knuckle of his pinkie into the child's open mouth. She latched onto it and he felt a gentle sucking accompanied by little smacking noises. _The girl was suckling on his bloody heartstrings is what…_

"Seemed to do the trick." He smiled but dropped the expression from his face as soon as he caught the enigmatic looks he was getting from the two women waiting patiently on the sofa. Bashfully, Spike cleared his throat and began to rock the babe back and forth. "Girl's gonna have to eat something proper sometime though…" He looked back up at Buffy.

"I know," Buffy smiled tiredly at him and he smiled back.

"Buffy?" It was Dawn this time, Joyce seemed oddly quiet, staring at the two people who had somehow managed to procure a newborn human child out of the blue.

"Right." Buffy spoke as she went to sit down in the armchair. Spike continued to stand, holding the little girl who was still smacking her lips against his knuckle, he strolled around the room a little, she seemed to like the movement and kept staring up at him with those big blue eyes of hers. _Could get lost in those eyes, princess,_ the vamp mused to himself.

"Mom," Buffy breathed. _Start this out right, Buffy._ "She's my daughter."

* * *

"Your…" Dawn began. "How? You weren't…Who's the dad? Is it Spike?"

"What?" "No!" Buffy and Spike denied and gawked at each other, aghast, embarrassed.

"Dawnie, vamps can't have…"

"I know but he's all… 'Papa Bear' 'n' stuff?" Dawn argued, throwing her hand out to a now broody Spike who had sat down in the chair next to Buffy, a show of solidarity if you will. Neither had anything to say towards that last comment.

"How is this possible, Buffy? You couldn't have…" Joyce began carefully.

"I didn't hide anything, mom." Buffy said. "Look, maybe you guys should just let me explain everything that happened tonight first but I just wanted to make it clear from the beginning that she's mine and once you find out how she came to be that won't change, okay?"

"Ok, sweetie." Joyce was encouraged by the protective note in her daughter's voice. "We're listening."

And so, Buffy went onto explain the events of the hours just past.

* * *

"So, she's not Spikes?" Dawn whined.

"Sorry, Nibblet," Spike chuckled at Dawn's disappointment. "Flattered as much you so desperately want me as big brother though." He grinned.

"How can she not have a father?" Joyce asked, now smiling down adoringly at the beautiful baby, Spike noticed and went to place the baby in Joyce's arms. She took the child without question, and so naturally too Buffy spied with a hint of envy. _She makes it look so easy._

"Say hello to grandma." Spike grinned.

"Oh my…I'm a _grandma_!" Joyce Summers laughed, begrudgingly accepting the title and everyone shared a chuckle.

"And I'm an aunt!" Dawn rejoiced with vigour. The young teen peered at her niece from over her mother's shoulder and asked: "What's her name?"

"Her name?" Buffy was flabbergasted and looked up at Spike ashamed. "I didn't even think…"

"Been a busy night, luv. Think we're forgiven, only known she existed for about two hours." _We?_ Buffy wondered.

"The monks didn't give her a name?" Joyce picked up. "Poor baby," She cooed down at her granddaughter. "Well, that's something to look forward to then, sweetheart." Joyce addressed her eldest. "You get to name her." Buffy smiled thankfully back at her mother.

"You know Buffy, supernatural stuff aside, raising a child…" Joyce began.

"I know, mom…"

"It's a lot of work. It's expensive. Babies need so many things…"

"I know. Tomorrow I'll make a list…it's not like I've had time to prepare anything. We can tough it out tonight. I can do it." She finished determinedly.

"Of course, you can do it, Buffy and you'll have help." Joyce smiled and rubbed a reassuring hand over her daughter's knee. "You'll make a wonderful mother."

"It's true." Dawn spoke up and Buffy looked at her sister in surprise.

"Really?"

"Sure, miserable sister but you'd make an ok, mom." Dawn grinned and Buffy laughed.

"Told you, pet." Spike sent a smug wink in Buffy's direction. Her mood brightened for a moment only to diminish again when she remembered…

"How am I gonna tell Giles?" Buffy sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that night. Joyce could see the worry etched onto her daughter face. "Slaying and parenthood don't exactly see eye to eye…"

"Well, he's just going to have to deal with it." Joyce assured her. "And don't worry about that now… tomorrow, we'll handle operation baby, tonight, I think everyone could use some sleep. Dawn you have school in the morning…" Joyce warned her.

"More like in three hours." Dawn grumbled.

"Bed." Joyce smiled as Dawn sulked up the stairs not before placing a sweet kiss on her niece's temple. "Here, Buffy." Joyce handed her back the child. "I have a meeting at the gallery at nine, I should get some sleep too…I'll run out tomorrow morning before work and get you the correct formula" Buffy started to protest but thought better of it, she didn't have a clue what formula to get, "and don't worry about Mr. Giles. Night, sweetheart." Joyce kissed Buffy on the temple and ran a loving hand over the little one's cheek. "Spike." She nodded at the vamp and went to follow her youngest upstairs.

"G'night, Joyce." Spike wished her fondly. "Should probably go too, pet. Sun up's not far off. Should hurry if I don't wanna be toast for breakfast…" Spike looked back at the new mother, settling into the armchair with her babe, she looked back up to him and nodded. They stared at each other for a long moment and he eventually sighed and made to stand, _don't know what I was expecting._

Buffy jumped up after him, "Spike?"

"Slayer?" He turned back around.

"I um, you…you got enough time to get back ok…without getting crispy, that is? Because the basement…"

"S'alright, pet, plenty time." He smiled in thanks and his gaze was drawn back down to the little one, nestled in her mother's arms, the girl had finally succumbed to her exhaustion. He raised an alabaster finger to the little one's cheek and stroked it softly. It was hard for Buffy to digest the gentleness that was oozing out of someone she had come to understand as quite the opposite but that wasn't to say she didn't like what she saw.

"Suits you, too, you know." Buffy surprised herself by what she just said and surprise registered, similarly, on Spike's face but his expression quickly melted into something warm.

"Don't tell." The edges of his mouth folded up into a smile.

"Promise. Thanks, Spike."

"Come again? Did little Miss. Priss just say thank you…to Big Bad?" He teased.

"Big Bad softie! Don't get used to it." Buffy practically growled back playfully and Spike relished in it. "But yeah, thank you, you helped me keep my head tonight." Buffy admitted, it felt important that she did. Spike shrugged, brushing off the thanks.

"We can deal, right?" _There's that 'we' again._

"Night, Spike." Buffy smiled softly up at him and at that Spike stepped back from the space in front of her.

"Night, Slayer…Slayerette." He grinned down at the sleeping child as did Buffy.

As he shortened the distance between himself and the door, Buffy was overcome with how very empty the room felt without him in it and the weight in her arms felt just that little bit heavier.

"Wait, Spike?" He turned to look at her. "I'll probably go to the Magic Box tomorrow afternoon to explain…well everything. Five o'clock maybe, if you wanted to…"

"You taking the little one with?"

"It'll probably be easier for them to believe with _living_ proof." Buffy smiled.

"You need a ride?" Buffy looked up surprised. "Save you walking with her."

Slightly stunned she managed a reply.

"What, n…ahh you know what screw it. That'd be…nice." She shrugged. "Why make it harder for myself, right?" Buffy accepted his offer but why was it suddenly so difficult to talk to him. _It's because we're not fighting or at each other's throats, that's why._

Spike smiled happily.

"I'll swing by for quarter to. Night, pet." He closed the door silently behind him.

"Night." Buffy said to an empty room and sighed with grating exhaustion before heading for the stairs. "Come on, Mama needs some sleep. Let's go make you a makeshift bassinet."

* * *

Spike needed a smoke.

He raised his Zippo to the end of his cigarette and sparked it up before inhaling…deeply. As the ribbons of smoke floated about him and into the night, he turned to look back through the window at the woman and child retreating up the homely staircase. He sighed. What had transpired tonight was…unexpected. Something felt different, the way she was looking at him, _the child for Christ's sake! _Spike struggled to take the first few steps away from the house before heading back to his crypt, suddenly distance between himself and 1630 Revello Drive didn't seem terribly appealing. _Sod the bleeding sun_, he thought before making his way back to Restfield. He would see her…them tomorrow, he reassured himself.

* * *

That next day, Buffy woke to the sound of crying. _Best get used to it_, Buffy grumbled as she dragged herself out of bed and walked round to the other side. Last night she'd had to make do with rolled up towels, pillow walls and comforters to fashion some sort of babyproof crib that took up half the bed. _She may have over done it with the pillow walls…_

Buffy carried the child down to kitchen and _bless all mothers everywhere,_ because she found a readymade bottle sitting in a pan of water, waiting patiently to be heated on the stove. Beside it, a note, instructions, lots of love, Mom x

"Thank you, Grandma. Hey, baby?" Buffy grinned picking up the paper, it meant that feeding this first time wouldn't be too painful…hopefully.

"Ok, I might know how to burn toast without even trying but I think we can manage to heat up a bottle without disaster, can't we?" Buffy cooed at her daughter who didn't seem afraid to vocalise her hunger. Buffy's eyes scanned the instructions. "Holy cow. You eat every four hours?" Buffy asked her baby as if expecting a reply. "No wonder you're grumpy. You probably feel like you haven't eaten for a week, right?" More screams were the only answer. "Right." She sighed.

It turns out, thanks to Mrs. Summers and the directions she'd left, prepping the kid's breakfast was very much in the realms of Buffy's capabilities…doing all that with a crying child in one arm was another matter.

"We really need to get you a crib…_and a name!_" Buffy exclaimed to her daughter as she finally determined the milk was cool enough to drink. Walking into the living room with pen, pad, baby and bottle, Buffy plonked down on the sofa and she didn't have to do much before the kid was chugging away. "Damn, lady. Take it easy, I'm supposed to burp you after this, right? You're so gonna throw up all over mommy." Buffy laughed, then a worried look crossed her face.

"I'm sorry you went hungry, baby." Buffy winced and kissed the now content child on the brow. "Just give me a little time to catch up, ok?"

She smiled, it was surprisingly easy to talk to her little bundle of pudge. "Now we're on a budget here. It's bare necessities, for now, ok? We just need to make it 'til the end of the day. Mama's gotta take baby steps too." Those big blue eyes kept staring up at her, guzzling down the bottle. "The crib can wait but first up, you're gonna need all that changing crap because no offence, sweetie, but you stink. We are so having a bath before we leave the house today…your ass is bigger than mine." Buffy grinned as she palmed a full diaper. "And I might have to sacrifice one of mom's dishtowels as a short-term solution but we won't tell grandma about that, no we won't."

Between that morning and the afternoon, Buffy had managed to: tidy up both herself and daughter and construct the aforementioned dishcloth diaper; tackle Dawn's old pram from out of the basement, clean it up and ventured into Sunnydale to purchase the essentials that she was sure she could afford. They could make do with the formula at home and so for now, the shopping list just included: diapers, wipes…lots of wipes, a pacifier, changing mat, a couple of cotton baby grows and several books on caring for newborns. Buffy skipped all the pregnancy literature and decide she would just have to do her best to know what her baby needed as each stage of development came along.

She was sprawled out on her bed, head propped up by a bent elbow, feet crossed at the pillows. "I'm probably going to have to quit school." Buffy sighed as she peered up from the pages of a baby book to marvel at her slumbering child. "Quit school, so that I have time to study all this baby stuff. You know, the thing I've noticed most about motherhood so far? …talking to myself…out loud." Buffy smiled.

By the time Spike rolled up in the DeSoto that evening, Buffy had digested most of the information in the books; there had been two more feedings and several diaper changes. Some ran smoothly, others were a disaster and the mess in Buffy's bedroom spoke for itself but tackling that seemed like an issue for later. She could focus on housekeeping when she was sure she could handle going five seconds without taking her eye of the baby.

"This whole thing would be made so much easier if you had somewhere to sleep besides some layered up blankets and what not." Buffy said to the gurgling child lying on the couch surround by yet another wall of pillows. She stuffed a couple more diapers into a jampacked shoulder bag then rummaged around beneath the sofa for her left shoe, as she did so the front door was flung open and a smoking blanket entered the house, a blonde head immerged from beneath.

"Buffy."

"Hey." She smiled, perhaps a little too fondly.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Did you steal it?"

"What do you take me for? Of course I bloody well stole it!" Spike grumbled as he parked the car as close to the Magic Box as possible. The sun was on its way down but it was still light enough to singe off his eyebrows if he wasn't careful.

"Spike!"

"Calm down, luv. Chored it out of some rich bird's skip, didn't I…" Buffy's face took on an abhorrent expression. "…and gave it a thorough scrub. 'Sides, it wasn't in bad nick to begin with and someone was just gonna throw it out." He said, defending his recent haul and it did something to diminish Buffy's temper.

"Oh."

"Oh, is right and we put a blanket down first anyway, she's fine." He said as he checked the rear-view mirror to take a peek at the squirming babe suckling on her new dummy, his absent reflection allowed him to see directly behind him where Buffy sat beside her, a lack of seatbelts meant she was holding onto the second-hand car seat that Spike had had the foresight to nick last night.

"Well, thanks." Buffy smiled. "You didn't have to do that…but I can't lie, it will help…massively. It's only been half a day and I already underestimated how hard it is to do anything if you don't have anyone to watch them or anywhere to put them, it's not like I'd feel comfortable just letting her have a snooze on the sofa, what if someone sat on her?!" Buffy thought in horror and Spike laughed.

"Least she can't crawl yet." He argued.

"This is very true. Well, either way, I'll feel better about taking a moment to clean up my room now that there's something I can strap her into, as militant as that sounds."

"What wrong with your room?" Spike queried, donning his blanket, ready to make a break for the Magic Box doors.

"Talc explosion," Buffy sighed, shuffling herself and the occupied carrier along the backseat of Spike's car to get out. "My bedroom looks like El Chapo's office." Buffy grinned and Spike barked out a genuine laugh before they headed out into the diminishing evening sun.

* * *

Inside the store Giles and Anya were finishing up with the last remaining customers of the day and Dawn seemed to be making her way through a pile of homework when Spike and Slayer walked through the front door with baby in bound, needless to say a few eyebrows were raised.

"Buffy, what on earth…" Giles began, too confused to even think about cleaning his glasses to check if he was seeing things.

"The others should be here soon," Said Buffy "I called Xander and Willow earlier today, I'll explain when they get here."

Giles wouldn't have to wait long as the bell over the door rang once more and in walked the missing Scoobies.

"A carpenter and two witches walk into a magic shop… Hey all…and…baby?" Xander's eyebrows furrowed together as he saw Buffy undoing the straps of the car seat that had now taken up a third of the counter space beside the register. Spike had hoisted himself up next to the babe and he began to gently rock the temporary napping station in time with the sway of his legs as they dangled off the edge of the counter. _As if a baby wasn't confusing enough_, Xander pondered.

Giles turned the sign over in the shop window before joining Willow, Tara, Xander, Anya and a giddy Dawn at the round table they frequented many a research session.

"Buffy, what is going on? You sounded awfully fervent on the phone." Giles started the conversation when he saw that Buffy was reluctant to do so.

"Are we kidnapping now?" Anya asked delightedly.

"Ahn?" Xander began, slightly worried.

"I only have a little experience in this area, I admit, but I'm sure I can offer you some worthwhile advice, Buffy." Anya beamed up at her expectantly, eager to help, much to the dismay of everyone else.

"Thanks Anya but we didn't kidnap her." Buffy assured everyone and a little tension left the room, though not nearly enough. Buffy found herself looking back over her shoulder at Spike for reassurance who was currently too preoccupied with her daughter to even realise. "This is my…no wait, I want everyone's reassurance that they won't interrupt until I'm finished telling you everything that happen last night." Buffy demanded. "It'll be so much easier." And she was met with bobbing heads, a few reluctantly.

"Ok. I was patrolling in Restfield. I picked up this fight with a vamp and ran into Spike half way through, he dusted the James Brown wannabe and then we heard this scream…'

* * *

"… so yeah, she's mine." Buffy finished. She wasn't sure what she expected but deafening silence was not it. Even Spike remained silent behind her, he kept a careful eye on the group, prepared for any outbursts. "Guys?"

"My word." Giles managed, this time he did remember his spectacles and removed them from his face to polish them, a comforting motion he was familiar with. "Buffy…and are you…alright?"

"Me? You're not pissed?"

"Heavens, Buffy, why would…"

"I know slaying and babies don't go hand in hand…I thought you'd be angry…" Buffy trailed off quietly.

"Buffy," Giles smiled. "It's not like you were careless, nothing could have prevented this, we just…" He sighed, feeling his age. "…you, of all people, understand what it means to have responsibilities and I'm not foolish enough to devalue what it means to be a parent however, I believe the task is too often underestimated. I want to make sure you're ready." Buffy looked down at the ground then back at her daughter, Dawn had wandered up to the register to play with her niece's toes and Buffy caught Spike's eye momentarily before turning back to the group.

"You don't need to tell me how easy it is to shirk your responsibility as a parent Giles, my father taught me well enough. I'm up to it." Buffy looked him right in the eye. "Besides what's the alternative, abortion? And adoption is out of the question." Buffy shrugged. "I was given a gift and I'm going to take care of her…though, I might need some help while I get up to speed. I'm nine months behind." Buffy smiled, looking at the other faces in the group who grinned back. The Scoobies had relaxed by the time she'd finished speaking. The shock had worn off.

"Holy shit, you're a mom!" Xander grinned raising his arms, jacket scrunching at the shoulders, a happy grin coloured his face and Buffy laughed along with the rest of group. "Congratulations, Buffy."

"Thanks. Yeah, she, um, she doesn't have a name yet so I've been calling her baby and pet names all day but um," Buffy walked over toward the carrier, Spike jumped down from the ledge and picked it up to hand to Buffy. "Baby, meet the gang. Scoobies, Baby." Buffy beamed and she was met with a chorus of intolerable nonsense and cooing but laughed all the same.

* * *

Each took their turn peering down at the sleeping bundle.

"Is that all she does? Sleep?" Xander asked, Anya rolled her eyes and returned to the cash register to count the days takings.

"She a soddin' week old, Harris. Give the girl a chance." Spike growled protectively and Giles made silent note of it.

"I think it best if today we focus on Buffy settling into her new role and then tomorrow we should regroup and discuss this 'Glory' persona. I'll start research tonight." Giles suggested and the majority of the group acknowledge him with a nod. "In the meantime," Giles began pulling glasses from the back of a cabinet and a bottle full of amber liquid. "How often is it we are able to celebrate something rather wonderful?" And the man began to pour a round of drinks for everyone.

"Giles." Buffy smiled at him affectionately. "Thank you."

"Now, you're talkin' Rupes." Spike chimed in at the sound of a liquor bottle being cracked open.

"Can't I have a glass?"

"No, Dawn, it's hard liquor."

"But it's just to toast my niece."

"You're fifteen."

"Nearly sixteen. Spike, how old were you when you started drinking?"

"Do not drag me into this, Nibblet. I grew up in Victorian England, you're born boozy."

"Giles, then?"

"How is that relevant?" The watcher wisely refused to answer that question truthfully so as not to give Dawn anymore ammunition and she knew it.

"America has it so backwards. Please, Buffy. This won't be the gateway to my impending alcoholism. I won't even like it, I swear. Please…"

Buffy must have been on a new parenting high or something because there's no way in hell she'd would've agreed to this normally but denying her sister the chance to raise a glass to the existence of her beautiful niece, Buffy would never dream of being so cruel.

"You can have a sip of someone's drink." Buffy conceded and everyone stopped what they were doing to pay attention to the sisters. Spike's gaze shone on with particular interest.

"Shut up. Really?"

"Yeah, really Buffy?" Xander asked confused.

"She's old enough to toast, Xan. Responsible enough not to drink outside of this little celebration, right Dawn?" Buffy gave her a warning look.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you." Dawn squealed and ran to give Buffy a wraparound hug.

"Ok, calm down." Buffy laughed. "Don't make me regret this and for god's sake, don't tell mom!"

Dawn ran to fill up a glass of water so she could actually participate in said clinking of the glasses and then the whole group filled in around the table. Spike moved the carrier to one of the benches that surrounds and met Buffy's eyes.

"Should probably include the guest of honour in this, even if the little chit is dozin' through her own toast." Spike smirked and surprisingly, it got a chuckle out of everyone before Giles cleared his throat.

"Spike's right, since the special lady is fast asleep, here's to you, Buffy." He raised his glass and everyone mimicked his action. "You were chosen for something very special and now, it appears, that something even more exceptional has chosen you. You will make the most wonderful mother, Buffy."

"To Buffy."

"To my niece."

"Baby Summers."

"To the Slayerette."

"Cheers!" They saluted their drams in tandem. Xander, Spike, Anya, Tara and Giles all necked their drink back in one whilst Willow and Buffy sipped at theirs more slowly.

"Here you go Nibblet." Spike offered up a tumbler to Dawn that had a freshly poured millimetre of whiskey in it.

"That's it?"

"Big sis, said one sip. That's a sip and a half." Spike winked at the younger Summers, Buffy caught it and found she really enjoyed the way he interacted with her sister. Spike could make Dawn smile when many of their days were dark. That was a rare attribute and one to admire when you lived on the top of a Hellmouth.

"It's ok, we can just have another toast when you actually figure out her name, Buffy." Dawn grinned with mischief.

"Watch it." Buffy smiled at her sister's cheek.

* * *

After the small toast, Willow had just finished hugging Buffy for perhaps a little too long when she began asking the important questions. "So _how can_ we help?" She smiled.

"Well, I don't have any baby stuff, only what I bought in town this morning. She can't sleep in her car seat."

"I can ask my parents about my old crib, they hoard everything." Said Willow. "If it's still around, I'm sure Xander could swing by, drop it off to you? And whatever else there is."

"Sure thing, Buffster." Xander agreed, digging into the standard box of donuts that accompanied every meeting.

"That would be great, Will. Thank you."

"She's beautiful, Buffy." Tara smiled down at the child. "Her aura too." Tara's eyes sparkled as her mouth tipped up into a smile.

"I know…wait, you can see her aura?"

"As white as snow…" Tara said dreamily. "Babies are like a blank canvas, pure as anything." Giles had his nose buried in a book, Anya had her hands full of cash; the rest of the group was now milling around Xander and the remaining donuts and Buffy, Tara and Spike were still huddled round the baby.

"Hey, Tara," Buffy began and the sweet witch dragged her eyes away from the sleeping child to look at the Slayer. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure." Tara smiled.

"Watch her for me?" Buffy asked and rested her hand on the crook of his arm, turning towards the besotted vamp.

"Not a problem, luv." He shrugged down to the floor, back against the wall and now had the car seat situated between his bent legs, the baby was beginning to stir. Tara followed Buffy into the back of the shop and Dawn, who had managed to snag a couple donuts, came to sit beside Spike and offered him one.

"Jam?"

"If by jam, you mean jelly? Of course." Dawn grinned handing one over.

"Hey Nibblet, do us a favour and grab the baby bag your sister packed from the back of the DeSoto will you? Little one's gonna be hungry when she wakes up and the sun's still up."

"Sure." Dawn smiled, all too happy to accommodate her new favourite niece."

* * *

"Everything ok, Buffy?"

"Yeah, I just wanted to ask your advice, maybe get your help with something?"

"Anything." Tara encouraged.

"I was wondering if there was a spell or something that could maybe… maybe help me breastfeed?" Buffy confided in the witch with a little apprehension. "I wasn't pregnant with her and I want to be able to…"

"You don't have to explain." Tara beamed. "I think that's a wonderful idea."

"Really?" Buffy's heart swelled. "You can do it then?"

"Both men and women can lactate…sort of, without any kind of pregnancy or magic being involved but I can brew you some herbal tea that will definitely give your body a magical nudge in the right direction. Hopefully when the milk comes in you won't even have to keep drinking it."

"Tara that would be…really amazing…thank you." Buffy smiled. "I mean I think I can hack the formula no sweat but slayer boob juice has got to be good for the kid, right?" The two girls laughed. "The bottle's not the same as…"

"The tap?" Tara teased and the girls were laughing again. "I know, Buffy." Tara finished with more sincerity.

"I want to do this for her."

"You're going to be a great mom." Buffy received a rare hug from the gentle woman that had her holding back a few tears yet again before they returned to the others. Upon entrance, Buffy was greeted by the sight of her younger sister, entirely focused on her little baby girl. She'd clearly just woken up and Spike had her nestled in his arms, duster abandoned on the floor beside them as she suckled at another bottle of milk. It was quite the sight. Something about it made her feel all warm inside and a wonderful fluttering began low in her belly.

* * *

**AN:/ Please review sweet people...honest to god can't tell if this is going somewhere worth while or a piece of piss x **


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Spike?"

"Hey, Slayer." The man looked up and smiled. "Bit's hungry."

"I can see that." She chuckled and took up the space on the floor to Spike's left. Dawn was seated at his right, mesmerised by just how much milk this chick could throw back. Buffy felt tired, she'd only had a couple hours sleep, even for a Slayer that wasn't enough. She lifted her palm to run the back of her hand over the smattering of hair that adorned her daughter's scalp, before she knew what she was doing, her forehead came down to rest on Spike's shoulder and she fought to blink away the sleep. The back of her eyelids weren't nearly as interesting as the sight of her child being lovingly cradled in his arms.

Somewhere in the back of Spike's brain he recognised the irony of where and whom he sat with; back to the wall and a Summers woman blocking every other viable exit. The man was trapped and he couldn't give a toss. The weeks prior seemed foreign to him, like he was only half in existence or something, just wading through his unlife and then this little blob of human flesh rocked up, part Buffy but wholly magical. He just knew she felt right in his arms, Buffy felt right pressed up again his side, and even Dawn mercilessly fidgeting beside him, deeply enamoured with her darlin' niece, he loved the Nibblets.

"You got any ideas on a name yet, Slayer? …Buffy?"

She was asleep.

* * *

The Slayer was a formidable force of nature but in sleep she oozed vulnerability just like any other regular person. The sight of her jugular stretched out like that as her head lulled to the side, nuzzling into his own neck, well, it did things to Spike. Of course, he wanted to bite her, so long as she was Buffy, he didn't think a time would come when he wouldn't want to bite this magnificent woman. He's just didn't want to rip her throat out in the process as much as he used to; more than anything, he just wanted to kiss her. Spike knew he'd have to be blind to think she wasn't stunning, her eyes kept fluttering behind closed lashes.

"Um, Watcher?" Spike cleared his throat, gaining Giles' attention. "That normal?" He asked nodding to the slumbering Slayer. Giles's eyes flickered up and peered over at his charge from the rim of a steaming cup of Earl Grey. She was slumped on the floor, conked out and practically drooling on the shoulder of William the Bloody. Needless to say, Giles' eyebrows scrambled to the top of his forehead rather quickly.

"Buffy?" He queried, rising from his desk chair and making his way over to the girl.

"She never just falls asleep like that." Dawn spoke up beside Spike. "Buffy could go a week without sleep."

"Buffy?" Giles tried again, this time shaking her awake by the arm.

"Huh! What? I'm up." She startled awake.

"Are you ok?" The watcher asked. Buffy looked as shocked as anyone that'd she'd somehow fallen asleep…on the middle of the Magic Box floor…before ten o'clock in the evening…and on Spike's shoulder at that!

"Yeah, I'm fine, I'm just…I must be sleepy Buffy, is all."

"Spike, maybe you could give the girls a lift back." Giles asked, looking slightly worried. "And perhaps dust a few fledglings on your way home; Buffy, we'll manage the rest of patrol tonight."

"Giles, I really am fffiiiinnee." Buffy finished on a yawn.

"Indeed." He said, quirking an eyebrow and shoving his hands in his pockets; Buffy admitted in defeat, betrayed by her own bodily functions.

"Fine." She conceded.

By now the baby had been fed, burped and been strapped back into the carrier. Spike rose from the floor, slipped on his duster and picked up the car seat. "Come on, pet." And he reached out his free arm to lend her a hand standing up. "Nibblet, grab the bag, yeah?"

"So, what? I'm the baby caddy now?" Dawn asked but picked up the diaper bag with no real complaint.

"Thanks sweets." He looked down at the Slayer's kid sis, amused.

Once upright, Buffy all but sleepwalked to the car, trailing behind Dawn and Spike. Struggling to keep her eyes open, she clung to the vamp's wrist; through the unusual muddle of tiredness that had taken over the Slayer, practically holding hands, Spike guided her out of the front of the shop, Buffy in one arm and baby in the other.

* * *

When the bell chimed and door clicked shut behind the vampire and the gaggle of Summers women departing from the Magic Box, it was like everyone's bewilderment was no longer stifled and the gang became aware of what had just transpired.

"Umm, that was…" Willow began but trailed off, unsure how to finish her thought.

"It's not just me that's wigging out then?" Xander looked relieved and confused, all at the same time.

"Am I missing something?" Tara leant over towards her girlfriend to ask softly.

"Spike, with the…and the…" Willow stumbled over her words in shock. "He was all…"

"Did you see the way Buffy was drooling all over him?" Xander complained with outrage.

"She was _asleep_." Anya helpfully pointed out.

"Does Buffy not usually drool all over Spike?" Tara asked innocently, thinking the unconventional family unit was decidedly adorable.

"Hell no!" Xander informed the witch who was relatively unfamiliar with the group dynamics. "Buffy's go-to is usually to beat Spike up just for shits 'n' gigs but now she's sleeping with him! Well, not…you know what I mean! Two days ago, Buffy wouldn't have fallen asleep in the same room as Spike, let alone…" Xander flung his arm out at the space where the two blondes had been comfortably sat, unable to put into words whatever it was they'd been doing.

"Xander's quite right," began Giles "Buffy seems to have grown rather…attached."

"Spike didn't seem to mind." The ex-demon pitched in.

"Yes and he is clearly quite protective over the child and Buffy it would seem…" Giles removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose to sooth the oncoming headache.

"Do you think she could just be, you know, apprehensive about being a new mom?" Willow queried. "It's an understandably daunting task and she probably just wants someone to lean on." The redhead tried rationalising her friend's odd behaviour.

"It's plausible." Said Giles. "But, Buffy's exhaustion is something to question, I can't help but think something else is at work here."

"I hope so, I feel violated, I was struggling not to be nice to the undead creep."

"Interesting. Xander, what do you mean?" Giles questioned.

"It was like, I knew what was happening and something inside me was saying this is bonkers but also like something was making me ok with it, ya know?"

"Oh! Yeah…" Willow piped up excitedly. "…and then they left and it all came crashing back. Do you think it's another spell?"

"You mean, I was right to be confused this whole evening because I was rather…I thought you would have all made much more of a fuss over Spike handling the child in such an affectionate manor." Anya stated matter-of-factly. "Normally, you would have kicked him out by now."

"Ahn, why didn't you say anything?"

"Xander, you always tell me not to say stuff!" The ex-demon whined in protest.

"Should we be worried, Giles?" Willow asked, fearing for her friend.

"I don't believe any malicious forces are at play here. Regardless, I have my suspicions but I feel we should wait to draw any conclusions. I'm sure we will be enlightened on the matter once we know more about this Key that Buffy was talking of."

Giles concluded the meeting and shuffled the youths out of the door before closing up shop.

* * *

"Welcome back to the land of the living." Buffy had fallen asleep again during the car ride home and woke to a smirking Spike staring down at her from the darkness of her own bedroom.

"You're not living." She grumbled and stretched out the kinks in her neck.

"Land of the animate then." He smiled. Spike was sat on one side of her mattress and had a single hand lain on the back of her daughter; she was sleeping soundly on her stomach next to him in the centre of the bed. His palm engulfed her, she was so tiny. Careful not to wake her, Buffy edged her way up the headboard and into a reclined sitting position, her feet were bare. It wasn't hard to deduce that Spike had carried her upstairs and someone had removed her shoes. She didn't question what he was still doing here, it never even occurred to her.

"Where's Dawn?"

"Sent her to bed."

"And she listened to you?"

"Think the sip and a half went to her head." Buffy smirked before looking up at him beside her. He was most handsome in the moonlight, she decided; her bedroom shutters caused streaks of pale blue to crisscross the planes of his face and she found herself staring. Her eyes dropped to his mouth and saw it part slightly.

Spike revelled in the look she was giving him, it was contemplative yet peaceful. Buffy sighed contentedly in the silence and the rise of her chest monopolised Spike's attention for a moment as her breasts seemed to strain against the front of her shirt more than usual. If his cheeks could have flushed, they would have and he reluctantly drew his eyes away.

The conversation continued at a whisper.

"So," he swallowed, Adam's apple bobbing, he turned so as to fill his sight with the sleeping treasure that lay between himself and Buffy "…slayer boob juice?"

"What?" Buffy was confused for a moment but then it dawned on her and her hands flew to her crimsoning cheeks. "Oh my god! You heard that?" Spike chuckled deep and low at the Slayer's obvious embarrassment. The sound seemed to rumble all the way through Buffy until she felt tingles at the base of her feet, it was pleasant, the way his amusement wrapped around her entire body.

"It's rude to eavesdrop, you know?"

"Can't always help it, luv." Spike's hand had now shifted and was running the back of a digit, gently over the babe's forearm, her skin felt softer than a gentle summer breeze. Buffy's hand had made its way up to where his had originally been and she was comforted by the feel and sight of her daughter's steady breathing.

"Do you think I'm crazy?" Buffy asked shyly. She wasn't sure why Spike opinion mattered all of a sudden but it did and she was wildly curious to know what he'd think.

"'Bout the Slayer boob juice?" He grinned.

"Spike…" Buffy hissed and sent him a playful warning by flicking him on the ear and this only proved to amuse him further.

"Course not, luv. Most natural thing in the world init…you got the means so why shouldn't you breastfeed your kid?"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." He assured with a slight tilt of his head and found himself stuck, unable to look away from her again. "So, she got a name yet? I tried asking you at the Magic Box before I realised you were dribbling all over me."

"I was not!" Buffy protested lightly.

"Like mother, like daughter." Spike shook his head, struggling to feign disappointment as Buffy prodded him in the ribs. "Oi, watch it, Slayer."

"You watch it." She smiled. "And no, no name yet."

"Any ideas?" Buffy shifted her position and thought quietly for a moment. Spike mirrored her movements and the two adults now lay facing each other, cocooning the child between them atop the duvet and sheets.

"I do like the thought of naming her something that has a similar meaning to Dawn."

"S'good name for someone related to the Slayer, fitting." Spike affirmed.

"You come across any names like that in all your years of living?"

"Thought I wasn't living." Spike challenged and Buffy peered over at him from across the bed.

"You'll do." She smiled shyly again, that was enough for Spike and he began to think.

"Well, you've got: Aurora, of course?"

"Too Sleeping Beauty, despite how fitting that may seem right now." And they both smiled down at their own little sleeping belle.

"Yeah, treasure this moment because you know she's gonna want feeding in a few hours." Spike grinned and acknowledged the sleeping figure. "'Ey, chomper?"

"Chomper?"

"Girl guzzles down every meal."

"Well I can't call her that. What else you got?"

"Let's see…there's: Alba, Oriana, Lux, Roxana–"

"Roxana? Like Roxanne?"

"Yeah, Alexander the Great's wife, means the first appearance of light…or dawn." Spike's lips tilted up.

"Roxanne…" Buffy mulled the name over again. "My middle name's Anne. It's like an edgier version." She smiled wistfully.

"Your…" Spike looked surprised, which in turn surprised Buffy. "…your middle name is Anne?"

"What's wrong with, Anne?" The Slayer's eyebrows pinched together and her lip pouted a fraction, the thought of him not liking her name hurt her slightly.

"Nothing, it's just – my…" Buffy waited expectantly and Spike looked up at the ceiling before he continued. "…was me mum's name. S'all." He finished quietly, remembering another life. _Oh._

Buffy had never seen him so stuck in the past. The expression on his face, it was…sorrowful, if Buffy was not mistaken. Whatever had happened, Buffy knew one thing for certain and that was that his mother was no longer around and so she decided not to pry.

"I like Roxanne." Buffy whispered into the darkness and Spike was soon mesmerised by the tender expression that graced her forgiving face.

Spike couldn't explain it, he felt choked up. Ever since he was introduced to the babe, something had been happening to him and quite frankly it scared him half to death but if it meant that Buffy looked at him like _that_, well, quite frankly, he couldn't give a damn what the soddin' universe threw at him.

"Me too." He managed a gentle reply with a grateful smile and shinning eyes.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

For the third time that day, Buffy found herself waking somewhere she hadn't remembered falling asleep. She slowly recognised the familiar features of her room, a view of Spike snoozing like the dead and looking down, Buffy saw that Roxanne was also still resting.

It was the early hours of the morning and Buffy woke to a damp sensation spreading across her chest. Rising from her bed with a groan, she flicked on a small table lamp and a low light spread into the room. A large wet patch had somehow formed on her chest. _Was I actually drooling in my sleep?_

As Buffy rose to find a different shirt to change into she went to strip off her current one and as she raised her arms above her head, became all too aware of how tender her breasts were. It occurred to her that…well, they had been_ leaking._

"Holy shit." Buffy laughed as she realised what had happened, her boobs, doubled in size, were now painfully filled with milk. Embracing the bizarre comes with the job of being the Slayer and Buffy, surprised that she wasn't more surprised, went to retrieve an old loose button-up to cover her nakedness in the meantime and that was the dream he woke to…

The low light and the quiet shuffling in the room had tickled his supernatural senses and Spike blinked his eyes open to catch Buffy pulling a shirt over her head. She was facing the window and out into the night, the delicate slope of her bronzed back was soon hidden from his appreciative gaze by a ratty piece of oversized plaid. He just had time to admire the sweet dimples that kissed her lower back before they were covered and she spun around again.

"You're awake?"

"Just." He answered, voice rough. Spike stretched away the sleep and rolled onto his stomach. His arms folded up beneath the pillow, causing his black t-shirt to rise slightly and a band of pale skin revelled itself to the startled Buffy. "Why you awake, luv?" And Buffy laughed gently at that.

"Only on the Hellmouth…" She began to herself, raising a hand to her tired temple and Spike's lips quirked up in amusement, he found himself awash with pleasantries as of late, whenever he saw her face.

"What's the bastard Sunnyhell done this time?" He mumbled through a smile with one ear flat to the pillow, facing towards Buffy.

"My milk came in." She sighed and accepted the fact.

* * *

"Come again, Slayer?" His scarred eyebrow rose up, as did his torso; he elevated himself to rest on his elbows. The depression Spike made in the mattress caused the child to immerge from her slumber with a high-pitched hiccough that burgeoned into a prolonged shriek. "Shit, sorry, Rox."

Buffy immediately went to sooth her daughter, undoing the front of her shirt by several buttons.

"Umm, Buffy? What…" Spike startled and drew in a fast breath as more of Buffy's swollen cleavage was revealed to him in the gentle illumination of the room. The Slayer's shirt fell away from her as she leant down to pick up her fussing child; the vamp was at the perfect height to catch a glimpse of her belly button through the channel of loose material before she rose back up to her full height.

"Sshh…" Rocking and soothing the child, Buffy turned away from Spike, his jaw hung low, and guided Roxanne's open mouth to her nipple as she moved the fabric of her shirt aside. The girl latched on without much ado and Buffy sunk down onto the bed as she was overcome with the most wonderfully bizarre sensation in the world. "Think they were about to burst," She whispered as a tear escaped her eye. "You woke up just in time, baby."

Spike slowly crept over to position himself beside Buffy, knees bent at the edge of the bed, shoulder to shoulder, thigh pressed against thigh, mindful of startling them and the intimacy of the moment.

"You're…how in the hell?" With a minute shake of his head, Spike marvelled at the little face pressed up to the swell of her breast.

"It's why I woke up, I…they just started…I don't know." She smiled.

"Wow." He exhaled, slightly wonderstruck and tilted his head with avid contemplation. "In all my years, I've never seen…"

"Never? But you're, like, old." Spike laughed at her naivety.

"Victorian, luv. It's what wet nurses were for. Wasn't proper, especially for men to see…and after that, well, din't spend much time 'round…this sort o' thing. Tele don't count." He explained almost regretfully. "Those soddin' monks did a right number on you, didn't they?" They shared a smile before both gazes were compelled back down.

"I can't describe how incredible this feels."

"Think I've got some idea, luv."

Spike offered this piece of information up like his inner thoughts just tumbled past his lips without his permission. He couldn't take his eyes away from the way the little one was feeding at her breast; all that ripe, slayer goodness just bleeding from Buffy's nipple and pouring down the throat of the ravenous child.

Buffy didn't understand what Spike meant at first but when she looked up at him, the sight of his face, the yellow sheen to his eye, she had an inkling_…what do vamps do best?_

"It's the exact opposite, Spike."

"I know, luv." He assured her. "You're giving her life, not taking it away." He sighed sadly before forcing his eyes upon Buffy's. "She's a lucky bugger." He swallowed. _His voice had definitely dropped a couple octaves._ The tone it bore, dripping with hunger…not for blood but for the Slayer. She could see it in his eyes, the _want._

* * *

_What was happening? How is this happening? Why?_

If what he said only alluded to the feelings Spike was currently being overwhelmed by, then the look alone spoke for itself…

"Buffy, I…" _How does one put this into words? _"It's like you're shining a light on me, Slayer. The chip maybe kickstarted it but you…" He sighed out his frustrations. "Then her…" Spike looked back down at the baby smacking her lips against Buffy's warm skin. _By god,_ did it make him want to thoroughly ravage the woman that sat before him because she was…a woman. No longer the teenage girl that he'd encountered when he first ventured into this dive of a town, Buffy Summers had blossomed, becoming so much more. The girl could be pessimistic, short-tempered but funny and even forgiving. Now, apparently, she was also a mother. Spike had a particular soft spot for the breed, the good ones anyway. If that wasn't a clear sign of how peculiar a vampire he truly was, well, then the universe could just bite it.

Spike tilted his head in the same way Buffy had seen him do so many times before. He lifted a steady hand up towards Buffy's chest but held still when he heard her sharp intake of breath and his pupils whipped up to looks at her. At first, he thought it was outrage but when he bore his penetrating gaze into hers, all he saw was excitement…perhaps even smell it a little too, mixed in with a wash of milk. The mad fluttering in her chest echoed the stammer he knew he would feel in his own, if only his heart could beat. His long, handsome fingers continued forward to first brush tenderly over the cheek of the suckling child but then the tips of his fingers grazed, ever so slightly, along the edge of her breast where the child had latched on. He exhaled steadily. _All that hard exterior and she was actually as soft as anything,_ he mused.

Buffy's heart continued to play a staccato rhythm against her ribs. That slightest touch was _divine_. His forefinger trailed a path up her sternum, his fingers danced along her clavicle and hooked themselves under the collar of her shirt before pulling it gently down. The vamp's head nodded forward to lay an open-mouthed kiss against her bare shoulder, his tongue darted between his parted lips and tasted the saltiness of her skin.

"Spike." Buffy let out his name on a breathy whisper, she turned her head toward him.

His eyes were black in the absorptive darkness, lustful, curious, maybe a little hesitant. Even so, he was helpless but to lean towards her, stopping just short of making a very important decision.

Buffy made it for him as she pressed her lips against his.

* * *

At first, the stillness of their kiss was maddening. As if an unknown presence had cast the smallest stone into an ever-peaceful lake; their calm surface was fractured by a single ripple. It started at the mouth and that pulse was to grow and grow. Their bodies were statuesque, the rise and fall of their chests barely there, he didn't breathe and she wouldn't dare. Buffy's lips just grazed his before his tongue reached out to press against her own, slow, hardly passing as an embrace. Pressing against each other like a finger to a flame or hot breath against a cool sheet of glass; it was swift, passing, a fraction of a kiss but most importantly, it left a patina of taste against the other that was immediately addictive.

They didn't know if the kiss was as hesitant as it was because Buffy still held the feeding child against her breast or because of the magnitude of what it meant. Slayer and vampire, _again._ Kissing Angel paled in comparison and Buffy had barely grazed Spike's lips.

There was a physicality to the swarm of emotions that tugged at Buffy's chest, literally, the Slayer swore she could feel something in her centre trying to grapple its way toward Spike and _his_ demon, it wanted so desperately to crow in jubilation. Buffy began to pull back to gauge his reaction but before she could worry, Spike brought a hand up to the back of her neck and pulled her towards him for another embrace. This next kiss made them both dizzy.

Spike's tongue dipped into her mouth and the Slayer answered in kind. It felt like coming home. He tasted like a smoky wine and she quenched his thirst like an oasis in the desert. Buffy curled up her tongue and ran it lazily along the back of his teeth. When she found where his fangs were hiding, she spent time stroking them with her curious flesh, coaxing them to descend and sharpen. She pricked herself against a canine and pressed her bleeding tongue against Spike's own, first he stilled at the overwhelming ambrosia but soon brought his other hand up to the side of her face to draw her closer. Spike sucked at her tongue and moaned around it, not wasting a drop. Buffy thought his reaction was wonderful and her belly quivered as he tasted more of her. Her body hummed, content to be giving life to both her child and her…her Spike; in that moment they were all truly connected, no matter what the PTB had to say.

"Buffy." Spike gasped her name like a prayer as they broke apart. As foreheads rested, one against the other, he breathed in time with her; even though he didn't need the air, he was still left struggling to fill his lungs. They both were.

A delicate 'pop' interrupted their heavy breaths and penetrated the rest of the silence in the room, signalling the child had finally had her fill. Buffy rose to burp her, Roxanne's cherub face stared at Spike over the slender shoulder of his Slayer, her eyes were as blue as his own and Buffy's shirt was still hanging off her and her tawny skin was calling to him.

"I should go." He gave her an out.

"No."

"No?" She turned around.

"Stay…if you want."

"Yeah?" And Buffy nodded, he struggled not to let an all-consuming grin take over his face. "Here." Spike offered up his nursing services to the Slayer and reached out his arms for her to pass over Roxanne, Buffy didn't even hesitate.

"I'll be back in a minute." And Buffy left him alone in her room with her child.

Spike lay a tea towel over his shoulder, waiting for that all-important infant upchuck and kept himself busy as it sounded like Buffy was pottering about the kitchen, yes, she was, Spike could now hear the steady rumble of a boiling kettle.

"Your mum's pretty decent, know that? More than decent actually." He whispered to the child as her patted her on the back, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Much more that decent." He confided in the child who had no idea as to what he was saying but Spike had this habit of speaking aloud, whether it was to himself, the universe or the God he despised but continued to have faith in. "Love the soddin' woman." He grumbled to no one in particular.

* * *

**AN:/ Thank you to those of you who ****dropped me a review, it spurred on this chapter. Xx **


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